The question is pretty self explanatory. Who do you guys think will best represent the Ravens defense in DROY voting?

Matt Elam is a guy that has been known in college for producing splash plays and having a highlight reel that could extend a mile long. I said in another thread that if there is a safety most likely to win DROY from this class, it's probably Elam due to his particular skillset.

But then you've got Arthur Brown. Last year Luke Kuechly won DROY, an ILB. We also saw strong runner ups in both Bobby Wagner and Lavonte David. Arthur Brown is in a comparable class of talent to those guys and could put up similar production.

Obviously sacks are king and if one of the pass rushers from this years crop looks good early, then that's probably the guy to beat, but otherwise, I think our two rookie defenders have got a decent shot... of the two, who do you think makes the strongest case... and what kind of stats do you think they might put up on their way to claiming the award?_________________

You're probably not going to win it at safety unless you have a bunch of interceptions. Elam's got ball skills but I think run support is his specialty. An ILB can easily come in as a rookie and be among the league leaders in tackles and Brown has the talent to do so._________________

A safety hasn't won DROY since Mark Carrier did it in 1990. Inside linebackers have won it 6 of the past 9 years. Without even considering either player's individual ability, it's clear that positional bias favors Brown. Given that he'll be playing for a good team and will probably attract some publicity as 'Ray Lewis' replacement,' if he plays well he'll get noticed. Elam would need a ton of interceptions to even throw himself into the conversation, and I don't really expect that from him._________________

Brown and it's not close. That's not me doubting Elam's ability rather than simply suggesting, as the post above me illustrates, Safety's don't win DROY very often and MLB's do. Arthur Brown brings leadership and talent and in the division he is in, could have a very big impact._________________

Yeah, I was a little unsure of where to go... I was leaning on Brown, but definitely some very valid arguments.

I will say this though. Just like with DPOY, splash plays are huge. To win an award like DROY or DPOY... being a highlight king can go a long way.

BaltimoreTerp your point about Brown being Lewis' heir is a good one. And it's why I really thought we have a strong shot at the award. This defense is going through a transition from what was Ray Lewis' defense with Ed Reed as the lieutenant to a defense that will feature two impact rookies taking over those roles. Having a successful team and that kind of pedigree should likely lend both Brown and Elam to seeing more looks than the average rookie defender. And with those looks comes developed perception.

So on a related note, it can't be forgotten that Elam is going to ultimately be compared to the loss of Ed Reed more than the loss of Bernard Pollard. And with Reed playing for Houston, I'm sure comparisons will be drawn between the two players quite a few times by the media.

So while it might seem impossible for a safety to win the award- statistically speaking, I think when you look at the scenarios... Elam replacing HOF Ed Reed, the likelihood of increased attention, his likeliness to end up on sportscenter for big hits all over the field, and the fact that he has the ball skills to snag 5+ interceptions... I think he's got a nice shot if a pass rusher doesn't truly emerge from this class.

I can't argue with Brown getting the award, but I think Elam's defensive impact isn't necessarily something we've seen in a safety prospect in awhile. I'm not saying he's the 'best' or anything. Just that his skillset/playing style lends much better to a popularity/perception contest. Say Elam ends up with 100 tkls, 6 INTs, 2 sks, 3 FF, and 14 PD... which I think are reasonable stats given his likely role on the team and playmaking skillset... call me crazy, but I think he could have the resume to get it done, award history be darned._________________

And again, I'm not saying Elam is the BEST safety prospect, I maintain that when he plays 100% he's the best, but he's not always consistently dominant. He'll seem to take plays off and that consistency was why I had other guys rated higher at different points later in the process.

But that being said, even if Elam has those same periods of lethargic play that he had at Florida, unless one watches him closely enough, it might not be noticeable to the common observer. But what will be noticeable are the many plays he makes and the energy he brings to a defense. The fact that Brown could put up huge numbers and still might be the backseat guy to Elam's more vibrant personality, high level energy, and splash plays. I think Brown being on the roster might actually help Elam. Having a 2nd legitimate contender on his squad that he could hold a greater perceived impact over, could really help his chances. I think Elam has a shot at the perfect storm tbqh._________________

I gotta go with Brown. Votes like these are mostly predicated on stats and I think Brown will put up more of them. That's not to say Elam won't have just as big of an impact on the defense, because I think he has a shot to do so, but Brown's will be more... noticeable to the average fan who doesn't see a lot of Ravens games. It's really hard to predict anything from the defense though. I think they'll definitely be better than last season (not that it would be a big accomplishment) but past that who knows. I'm just excited to see the new look on that side of the ball.

Brown will have more opportunities to make plays than Elam, both in the run and pass games, which gives him a huge advantage in regard to winning DROY.

Elam is going to have to look like the 2nd coming of Ronnie Lott to even be in the discussion, simply because he won't be in the position to do as many different things or impact the game as many ways being as far away from the LOS as he will be most of the time.